“Good thing you figured out” Liza flipped her hair. The blond hair was gone including the aquamarine blue eyes. “That’s what I like about you Noorie. You are smart. Thanks for saving me from the stress of explaining to you” she smiled. It was no longer the friendly smile I knew but a smirk. “Not just that so also the stress of kidnapping you from Nigeria”

“Did you have a first class in acting?” I moved further to her. This time, I made my mobility feisty, a hand on my hip while the other dangled next to my lap. I knew what I wanted to do. Smack her face hard.

“You could say that”

“That’s good”

“Typical Noor” she laughed. “Many would be shaken to know a friend of theirs betrayed them but you still have your composure”

“Do you know why?” I come to a standstill before of her.

“Why?” She quirked an eyebrow.

“Because I want to do this”

I charged at her at a speed that was extremely expeditious for her to know what was coming her way. My drive had banged her hard against the wall. I aimed at her head making sure the strike was painful and something she could possibly pass out or even die from. My rage bubbled harder. What does she think of herself? That I would cry from her betrayal. I receded after the deed. With the way she was motionless against the wall, arctic blue eyes lifeless, I knew I had triumphed. I paid attention to her body that sashayed down the wall to the ground. There was no sympathy for her. I knew she did not die. She passed out from the intensity of the hit against the wall. What a bitch!

Ines’s eyes were wide and her mouth rounded from surprise when I turned back to look at her. She was shocked from only God knows. I swirled back, threaded to the door. It was still there, the rage. I panted as I slid up the panel over the keypad for me to punch the code. My stomach twirled with a noise that was abnormal. I was hot from the fury, my throat felt bitter which I frowned at. I grimaced at the faded ink on my palm. The code had faded out. What nonsense? I clenched my fist next to my thigh.

“Is something wrong ma’am?” Ines’s voice was closer.

“The code” My head spun. Something glazed over my eyes. What’s happening to me? I forced my sagging eyes opened. “It is fading” Sweat broke free on my forehead.

“Let’s see that” she put her gun away. I stole a glance at Liza’s body. That reminds me. She is Liliana now. You don’t know when your enemy would strike so keep an eye on your back. “It’s fading maybe from sweating” she twisted her lips.  “Six….” She called unsure but she still punched in the number. “Two….what is this?” she strained her eyes at the faded ink. “Five?” she pressed the number. It went on for a while and I still kept an eye on Liliana’s body. Ines got the code right. The door beeped then opened.

A gust of chilling air rushed in which I had slightly shivered at. I smiled with great hope that I was free but what about Amir? I looked back down the hallway expecting him to appear before moving my eyes to Ines whose genuine smile grew wider.

“We had been underground all these while?” I looked back at the staircase that led out. I could see the sky. It was dark without a twinkle of a star or the sight of the moon. How long had I been in here?

“Yes, on an island” Ines shrugged. “We should leave” she helped me out. I glanced back at Liliana’s body before climbing out.

Outside was a crime scene. Sirens kept blaring in the air and uniforms graced the place. Ambulances were present. Someone shouted over a speaker. Injured men were tended to and criminals were taken away. I saw Amir sitting on a stretcher while a paramedic attended to him. Relieve washed over me with a sigh leaving my dried lips. I murmured Alhamdulillah under my warm breathe. A body in a bag was taken away. Policemen rushed past us into the ground where I had just come out from.

There was something I felt. It was not relieve but the feeling of knowing Santino was over and everything about him had come to an end was there. I could cry for that, tears of joy. Amir lifted his head to meet my eyes. I gulped, looked away then smiled gratefully at Ines who brought me out. There was another entrance that led out. Policemen with men arrested kept coming out. I was proud of myself when I saw two policemen drag out Carlo. He held my eyes while I gave him a sinister smile. The revolting feeling I had was still there with a slight pounding of my head.

“I want to sit down” I said to Ines who released me. The cold ground which was nothing but a rock contained me.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Yes, just tired and a little bit si….” The rest of my words were held back when I felt the bile rush through my throat. I threw my head to the side to empty what had rushed into my mouth.

“That answers my question” Ines said. “Can someone get me a paramedic here?” she shouted.

***

The shower I had when I got home relieved me of everything I had gone through in hours. Amir and I got home nearly two in the morning. We had not said a word to one another but that did not make me oblivious to the stares he gives me. I had walked in, went straight to the bedroom where I jumped into shower. The relaxing shower sent me straight to bed after saying my prayers. He was there in bed which had astonished me. The other night, he had not slept in the room. What was the change about?

I laid still in bed hoping sleep would come so that I could rest from the tired day. I was kidnapped, nearly raped by some psychopath, and felt sick from the whole stress and anxiety. I harked back to the entire incident which I muttered Alhamdulillah to. He had not moved in his side which kind of made me worry. I got to know that even though I was still angry at him, I still cared. Why? Because the heart I had thought had turned cold was still beating for him. It was so annoying but I knew I could play the game well.

“I know you are not asleep Noor” His deep voice drifted into my ears. I shut my eyes immediately with clenched fist. “I know you can hear me” he moved in bed. For a moment, my breathing stopped. There was a long pause from him then a deep intake and outlet of breath. “I am sorry” he said.

I frowned opening my clenched eyes. Sorry? Sorry? It angered me. He is sorry after everything? What nonsense! I skipped out of bed. He sat up to my quick vicious move.

“Noor” he jumped out of bed when I had turned over to walk out of the room.

“Amir, let me be”

“Listen to me please” he rushed to me. I swayed left to walk out but he clasped my arm.

“Amir, please!” I barked with a hard seize of my arm.

“I am sorry” he trapped me with his arms.

“Just let me be! I don’t want to speak to you!” I struggled in his hold.

I was angry, angry from everything he had done. The more I recalled everything I had gone through and everything he had done for the past month and few weeks, I can’t stop the frenzy burning inside me from rising.

“Hayati” his voice was desperate just the way mine had been when I came back to London but what had he done? He called me an over demanding woman pining for his love and attention. He said I was too clingy and now he thinks a simple sorry will solve it all.

“I don’t want to speak to you” I pushed him away. He staggered back giving me access to stroll out.

“At least listen to me! Why are you been so difficult?” Amir roared halting my legs before they took me out of the room. I stilled at the door. With a new wave of anger, I slammed the door shut and twirled back to look at him. He had cuts on his face, one on his cheekbone and the other above his left eyebrow.

“I am been difficult?” I snapped. “And you what are you? Easy?” I threaded to him ready to lash him. “When you sent me to Nigeria and I called, messaged you and begged you to forgive me if I had done something wrong, were you easy Mr Hussein?” My hands were on my waist while I shouted at him.

“I had a reason Noor! I had no choice but to do that!”

“What choice would be good to keep breaking me and making me feel worthless. Do you know what I went through?”

“Santino wanted you. He sent your pictures to me. Someone had taken them without you knowing. It was either you were with me, your friends, any member of my maternal family or you are going in or out of a place or you buying something. You were his next target Noor and I had to send you away to protect you so that you won’t be scared” That excuse might have calmed some people down but not me.

“Protect me! You don’t want me to be scared? It would have been better if you had told me. I would rather live in fear knowing you are still there than live with a broken heart. Do you know how it felt Amir? To be ignored by you? You treated me like I was worthless and not just that, your ignored me, refused to pick my calls, reply my messages. All it would have taken you to explain everything to me even though you want me away was sit me down and talk to me. It won’t take you thirty minutes to do that instead you resorted to something else”

“I am sorry Angel. I did it for the best” His voice was softer. Gone was the angry one and the angry look on his face while mine was still the same with a gurgling anger.

“Hold back your sweet names and don’t you dare think it would be easy this time” I glared at him with a warning finger.

“Noor please” he took a step closer.

“When I came back to London, you insulted me. I was too desperate for you. I am over demanding. What else did you call me? A clingy woman?” I frowned at that word.

“Those words were to chase you away”

“Including the part you said which was if I had known marrying you would be a mistake, then I would never have done that because you are nothing but a thorn in my life”

“I never meant that” he stepped closer.

“Take another step and I would break your bones Amir!” he stopped. “You never meant it but it slashed me” I exhaled. “I hate you right now Mr Hussein”

“I know habibti”

“I said don’t call me those sweet names!”

“I am so sorry Noor”

“When I was trying to nurse my broken heart with you in there all the time, you were as good as anything. I could not eat, cried and had sleepless night, you showed no symptoms of going through the same thing”

“Our problems does not have to show on our face Noor”

“Of course!” I screamed sarcastically. I wanted to cry but I did not want to shed another tear for him. “You idiot” I saw it. The corners of his lips twitch a bit then he held the smile back. “Do I look funny to you Mr Hussein?” I pointed at my angry face.

“No” he shook his head. “I just missed you and seeing you like this like the woman you are, I can’t stop the smile” his lips broke into a smile. I scrunched my nose up.

“I am serious here Amir! I am not ready or in mood for your cheesy words!”

“I am really sorry” he took a final step to me.

“It was English, something you understand. Don’t take another step closer and I would break your bones” I repeated the words I threatened him with.

“What do you want me to do to make up to you? I would” he reached for my hand which I was fast to take away. “Some things have to happen Noor. I had to send you away. Santino might get to you if I had replied those messages or calls. You might not had taken me serious if I had done it the other way round”

“When it comes to life and death issue you think I won’t be serious? I missed school for so long. I have so much to catch when I get back. You broke me you idiot!”

“I am so sorry. You can do anything to me. Punch me, slap me, anything to make you better”

“Really?” I raised an eyebrow at him and he nodded. “How desperate are you to make things better?” I folded my arms around my chest.

“Very desperate” he held my eyes pleading me to forgive him.

“Maybe I should have done this that day I came back” I whacked my fist on his face. He grunted out loud, a hand over his face that had gone red. It was relieving. I felt better. The rage began to reduce. “And I am not sorry”

“Ya Allah Noor” he cried out still holding his face. “That was painful”

“That does not still make me any better” I ambled to the bed. “You have a lot to pay for Amir and I am serious. Don’t think it would be easy” I hopped into bed.

His whimpers went on for a while and I settled into the comfortable bed turning deaf ears to them. Not long after, I slept off.

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